BTEC Level 2 Diplomas Introduction to BTEC

BTEC Level 2 Diplomas

BTEC

This stands for the Business and Technology Education Council. This organisation initially set up the qualification but since then it has been taken over by the Edexcel exam board.

Level 2

This refers to the level of the qualification. A ‘Level 2’ is equivalent to GCSEs. We also offer the ‘Level 3’ in the sixth form, which is equivalent to A Levels.

Diploma

This refers to the depth of the course. A Diploma contains 60 Credits and is equal to 4 GCSEs. You can also complete an Extended Certificate (30 Credits, 2 GCSEs) or a Certificate (15 Credits, 1 GCSE).

Science, Sport, Business

This is the subject area of the qualification.

Structure of the Course

Unit

Year 10

Year 11

Credit Value

Unit1: Fitness and Fitness Testing

5

Unit 11: Development of Personal Fitness

5

Unit 2: Practical Sport

10

Unit 9: Psychology for Sport

10

Unit 4: Anatomy and Physiology for Sport

5

Unit 18: Effects of Exercise on Body Systems

5

Unit 5: Injury in Sport

10

Unit 7: Planning and Leading Sports Activities

10

60

What skills are developed?

Pass

Pass work normally requires pupils to identify things. This may be naming bones on a skeleton or picking out their strengths and weaknesses in a particular weight training exercise. In addition, pupils will often have to describe things. For example, describing how a referee judges whether a goal has been scored in football.

Merit

To achieve a merit, pupils will typically have to explain things. This requires a deeper level of understanding than Pass work and looks at why things happen. An example is explaining the effects that exercise has on the body.

Distinction

In order to gain a Distinction pupils are required to justify decisions they make. In order to complete this pupils will have to consider relevant strengths/weaknesses or positives/negatives. This may involve ranking things in order of importance or explaining what changes would have the biggest effect on their performance.

Grading Criteria Pass All P criteria must be achieved. Merit All P & M criteria must be achieved. Distinction All P, M & D criteria must be achieved.

Unit Grades Grade Achieved

# of Credits

Points Scored

5

25

10

50

5

30

10

60

5

35

10

70

Pass

Merit

Distinction

Final Grade

Total Points

BTEC Award

GCSE Equivalence

Less than 300

Below Pass

-

300 – 339

Pass

CCCC

340 – 379

Merit

BBBB

380 – 399

Distinction

AAAA

400 and above

Distinction *

A* A* A* A*

Examples of Final Grades

Unit

Credits

Pupil 1

Pupil 2

Unit 1

5

Distinction

Pass

Unit 11

5

Distinction

Pass

Unit 4

5

Distinction

Pass

Unit 18

5

Distinction

Pass

Unit 2

10

Pass

Distinction

Unit 5

10

Pass

Distinction

Unit 7

10

Pass

Distinction

Unit 9

10

Pass

Distinction

Merit

Distinction

Final Grade

Two Bites of the Cherry Your work will be assessed on a maximum of two occasions. The First Bite When each assignment is issued you will be notified of its deadline. If you meet this deadline your teacher will mark it, indicate where it can be improved and hand it back. IF YOU FAIL TO MEET THE DEADLINE YOU WILL LOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF HAVING YOUR WORK MARKED. The Second Bite When your teacher hands the work back, he will issue a re-submission date. You will have up until this time to make any improvement and re-submit your work. If you meet this second deadline your work will be marked a second time and an overall grade awarded.

Deadlines IF YOU MISSED THE FIRST DEADLINE YOU MUST MEET THE SECOND ONE OR YOU WILL FAIL THE UNIT AND MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE COURSE. IF YOU MET THE FIRST DEADLINE BUT MISSED THE SECOND YOU WILL BE AWARDED THE GRADING CRITERIA YOU ACHIEVED IN THE FIRST SUBMISSION. FURTHERMORE, FAILURE TO CONSISTENTLY MEET DEADLINES MAY SERIOUSLY AFFECT YOUR CHANCES OF ENTERING THE SIXTH FORM. IF YOU MET BOTH DEADLINES AND STILL FAILED TO MEET THE PASS CRITERIA, AT YOUR TEACHER’S DISCRETION YOU MAY BE GIVEN A FINAL ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE THE PASS CRITERIA.

Plagiarism The work submitted must be your son’s own. Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work. This normally happens in 2 ways: • Work is copied in large chunks from the internet with no attempt made at editing the text. • Work is copied from another student in the class. In all instances, the pupil who has copied the work will fail the grading criteria it relates to. If a pupil is found to have knowingly let his work be copied he will also fail the appropriate grading criteria. Helping your son with the content of the work is fine, but please do not rewrite, re-word or edit it in any major way. Grammar and punctuation is not assessed and spelling of non-core words is not critical.

Performance Science

P

M

D

D*

National Ave.

60.8%

25.7%

4.3%

8.2%

John Fisher

65.2%

34.8%

0%

0%

P

M

D

D*

National Ave.

44.4%

28.9%

8.7%

17.4%

John Fisher

13.3%

33.3%

20%

33.3%

Sport

Business

P

M

D

D*

National Ave.

40.3%

27.8%

9.9%

21.3%

John Fisher

55.6%

22.2%

22.2%

0%

Pupils can achieve a Distinction with as few as 2 Distinctions – provided he achieves Merit in the other Units.

Leaving the Course Early If, for some reason, a pupil does not complete the course it may still be possible to achieve some recognition for his work. • The Certificate is equivalent to 1 GCSE and is made up of 15 credits.

• The Extended Certificate is equivalent to 2 GCSEs and is made up of 30 credits. In both cases, there is a stipulation from the exam board for Mandatory Core Units to be completed - in general these are completed in Year 10.

The John Fisher Sixth Form BTEC Nationals Pupils must gain a minimum of 4 GCSEs of grade A*-C. The BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Sport or Business will count in the following ways: Distinction in BTEC First in Sport This qualification on its own will allow you to do A BTEC National in the Sixth Form. GCSEs in English, Maths and Science are not essential but would be beneficial. Pupils who do not gain these qualifications in Year 11 may be requested to re-sit them in the Sixth Form.

Merit in BTEC First in Sport This qualification on its own is not enough to enter the Sixth Form. If you gain a Merit you will also need to achieve a minimum of a C in two of the following three subjects: English Language, Maths, Core Science (Merit if doing BTEC Science).

The John Fisher Sixth Form A-Levels Pupils must gain a minimum of 5 GCSEs of grade A*-C. The BTEC First in Sport will only count if it is a Distinction. Coming back to do A-Level Sport or Business In addition to the general entry requirements for the sixth form, you must achieve a Distinction. For example: If you get 5 GCSEs at A*-C in other subjects and a Merit in the BTEC First in Sport you will not be allowed to do A-Level Sport.

Other Options Work All of the BTEC courses are known as vocational courses. The emphasis is to prepare pupils for employment in the area they have studied. For example, the BTEC First in Sport provides pupils with knowledge and skills required for working in the leisure industry. Possible occupations include working at a leisure centre or gym (lifeguarding, personal training) and coaching young children (play schemes, summer clubs, etc). Other qualifications and Other Colleges A number of local businesses and colleges run apprenticeships. These courses are predominantly completed in the work place with one day a week at college. Other Schools and Sixth Forms also run BTECs as well other vocational courses, such as NVQs. You may decide to pursue a career outside of the sports industry. The BTEC course will have provided you with a number of skills that can be used in any area of work you choose to follow.